CANTLEY, QUE. � Steve Poirier has had his fair share of troubles at Autodrome Edelweiss.
Last season Steve Poirier had his only did not finish of the season at the one-third mile oval in Quebec and it cost him the Canadian point title.
On Friday night nothing could stop him from gaining his first ever SMAC Magazine Canadian Invasion series title. He did it in convincing fashion as he won the 25-lap Lasalle Motorsports/Northwood 2 Construction Lucas Oil 25th Anniversary tour Empire Super Sprint feature event.
�I was really comfortable racing out there tonight,� commented Poirier. �I wasn�t worried about the points when I was out there racing. I had a nice point lead coming into the night and the car felt so good all night that it didn�t matter.
�Last year at this race I was not comfortable, but tonight I could do whatever I needed to do with the car.�
Poirier started on the pole with Jeff Cook alongside him on the outside of the front row. At the green it was Cook getting the jump on Poirier in turns one and two on the top-side of the speedway.
�I knew I was going to be fast but when I saw him (Cook) on the outside I thought I might not see him again,� stated Poirier. �He was very good on the top-side in his heat and in the dash. I wasn�t sure if I was going to be able to get back to him.�
It only took Cook four laps to encounter slower traffic at the tail of the field with his Maxim. As he attempted to navigate the traffic Poirier was able to close back in.
On lap five, Cook got loose in turn three on the outside allowing Poirier to slip by in his AMB Moteurs powered J&J chassis on the bottom of the speedway.
�He (Cook) went into the third corner and got loose on the outside,� said Poirier. �We were in lapped traffic and I went to the inside. I think my car was a little bit better than he was.�
Once the leader Poirier was now forced to battle his way through the lapped cars at the tail of the 20 car starting field.
At the midway point Poirier led with Lance Yonge slipping by Cook for the runner-up position in turns one and two on the bottom.
Poirier was the leader on lap 19 when the only caution of the race slowed the field. April Wilson looped her car in turn two.
�That caution was good for me,� said Poirier. �I was starting to get to the faster cars as I was in lapped traffic. My neck was starting to get soar and I was getting tired from holding it up. It gave me a chance to catch my breath.�
On the restart, Poirier had two cars between himself and Yonge. Poirier easily got away as Yonge tried to get by the slower cars to challenge Poirier for the lead.
No one was able to catch Poirier as he took home $2,150 and his tenth feature win of the season and his first career win at Edelweiss giving him the lead in the Riverside Bar and Grill point fund for the weekend�s events.
Yonge, of Penn Yan, N.Y., came up one spot short securing another second place finish with his H.G. Associates powered Maxim. Yonge may have had something for Poirier but the caution made it difficult for him to challenge Poirier for the lead.
�I think the caution coming out killed my chances,� stated Yonge. �I would have liked to see that race go without a caution. He (Poirier) was getting caught up in traffic and with the traffic I may have had a chance.�
Michael Parent, of Granby, Que., earned the hard charger after he started 11th and finished in third. Parent utilized a recently freshened Fischer motor in his Eagle. He also worked the bottom of the speedway to gain him the top five finish.
�After the caution I knew the guys in front of me were going to go to the top,� said Parent. �I made sure I kept my car on the bottom in the moisture. They spun their wheels on the outside and I drove by them on the bottom.�
Alain Bergeron, the 2006 series champion, from St. Pie, Que., finished in fourth. Brian McDonald, of Cornwall, Ont., had his fourth consecutive top five finish in as many events.
RACE RESULTS (9/19/08)
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Lasalle Motorsports/Northwood 2 Construction A-Main (25 laps): Steve Poirier, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Alain Bergeron, Brian McDonald, Jeff Cook, Lee Ladouceur, Doug Emery, Tim Kelly, Chris Jones, Rick Wilson, Tommy Wickham, Normand Beaudreault, Mike Stelter, Bubby Kerrick, Justin Harris, Anthony Cain, April Wilson, Kyle Wilson, David Renaud
Lap Leaders: Cook 1-4, Poirier 5-25
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Chris Jones, Lance Yonge, Lee Ladouceur, Normand Beaudreault, Rick Wilson, David Renaud, Justin Harris
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Tim Kelly, Jeff Cook, Brian McDonald, Michael Parent, Bubby Kerrick, Mike Stelter, Kyle Wilson
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Alain Bergeron, Steve Poirier, Doug Emery, Tommy Wickham, Anthony Cain, April Wilson
M. Gilles Masson/Walt�s Hobby Dash Series Make-up 8/15/08 (4 laps): Jeff Cook
Centre de Beaute 360 /Walt�s Hobby Dash Series (4 laps): Jeff Cook
Bonuses:
Lasalle Motorsports/Northwood 2 Construction: Poirier $275
Ohsweken Speedway A-Main Winner�s Bonus: Poirier $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway Bonus: Poirier $100
Les Constructions Ultra Blue Collar Award: Stelter $100
Lane�s Yamaha Hard Charger: Parent (8 positions) $50
HG Associates Pole Award: Poirier $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award: Cook (11.995) $50
Cook�s Contracting Bridesmaid Bonus: Yonge $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats: Jones, Kelly, Bergeron $25.